


404 Not Found

by far_out_fangirl



Category: Tron (1982), Tron (Movies), Tron - All Media Types, Tron: Legacy (2010), Tron: Uprising
Genre: F/M, Starts out as fluff but turns angsty, You may need some tissues in later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-15 02:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8039434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/far_out_fangirl/pseuds/far_out_fangirl
Summary: Tron and Yori's relationship explored at 4 different times: first meeting, during Uprising, Tron as Rinzler, and the events after Legacy.





	1. First Sight

Tron patrolled the streets of the Grid, sometimes backing into alleyways and looking for suspicious activity. He would perimeter clubs, making sure no bar fights erupted. As he walked through the aquamarine glow of a side street, two programs- one male, one female – caught his eye. They were involved in some sort of romantic rendezvous, with both of them standing up, whispering sweet nothings in the other's ear.

Tron bristled at the sight. While romantic relationships between Programs weren't prohibited, they were certainly unorthodox. He felt programs had one purpose- to serve their User. Any other attachments distracted them from that purpose. In fact, such relationships-

He paused in his train of thought as he almost ran into another Program. Tron almost sputtered out the appropriate apology when he noticed the Program's features. She was petite with a pale complexion, and there was something about her that he just found...striking. Maybe it was her looks, or the way she carried herself. Either way, he found himself frozen around her.

"Oh! I'm sorry," she said. "I'm lost, and I can't find the way back to my quarters..." Her gaze landed on the "T" on his chest. "Wow, you're Tron? Protector of the Grid?" She smiled.

He became flustered and his voice was unsteady as he replied, "Yes, I am." His voice was quick and nervous. "What's your name?" He tried to make eye contact, but could only do so for a few seconds before directing his gaze back on the ground.

"I'm Yori," she said.

Gaining some courage, he asked, "Would you like me to escort you back to your quarters?"

She brightened. "Yes, that would be wonderful, if you don't have anything else to do. I'd hate to distract you from your job."

"Oh, no, no, it's fine. What district are you in?" His eye contact was steady now as he became more comfortable.

"Upper West," she said. "I'm new here, just got transferred from Argon."

"Well, welcome," he said, celebrating silently in his head, as the Upper West district was a good ways away. "It's this way. It's not far enough to take transportation, but it's a bit of a walk." He started in one direction, and Yori followed.

_Maybe there was something to the Program relationships,_ Tron thought.

* * *

"What is your function?" Tron asked.

"I work at the digitizing laser," Yori replied. "It's interesting work. Since I'm new, I'm still learning the ropes. What about you?"

"I'm a security Program. I thought you already knew that." His tone was curious.

"No, I mean, what are you like? What are your interests, hobbies? Do you collect lightcycles, or like to go to the bars or clubs?"

"To tell you the truth, not really. I've always been so devoted to my User that I never have time for anything else. What do you like to do?"

"Well, I like shopping. It seems vain, but I like looking at all the different designs. I make some myself, too." She blushed, and Tron looked on curiously.

"That's..." Tron trailed off. The first word that came to his mind was "endearing," but he didn't think it appropriate. "...interesting," he finished.

Yori laughed at his inability to find the correct word. "Thanks. Maybe we should find you a hobby sometime." She paused in front of her quarters, and Tron did as well.

He was taken a bit aback, but replied, "That sounds wonderful. Maybe we could, um, get some energy while we're out."

"I'd like that. Look me up in the directory, alright?" Tron nodded in reply. "Okay. It was really nice meeting you, Tron," Yori said as she unlocked her quarters and stepped inside.

"You, too." When her door was shut, Tron walked off, grinning. As soon as he made it back to his quarters- a long walk, but worth it -he looked her up. He didn't contact her right away, thinking that would make him seem desperate, but saved her information.

He wondered if Alan-One and Yori's User knew each other.


	2. Bittersweet

It was late. Beck slid around the streets of Argon, not unlike his predecessor. Hearing a scuffle, he slid down a side street when he saw the fight: a Program, female, clawing at a Black Guard.

"Time to go to work," Beck muttered. He came up behind the guard and slammed into him, taking the guard by surprise. The female Program seemed unfazed, but staggered back when she caught sight of the "T" on Beck's chest.

"Run!" Beck yelled as he got the guard in a chokehold. She shook her head obstinately, and pulled out two light swords instead. The blade ignited, and she charged the guard gracefully, using his momentum against him. He fell and the blade grazed his helmet, part of it derezzing. Only a slit of the face- eyes and a mouth set in shock -were visible.

"Leave," she hissed. Whether it was to the guard or to him, Beck wasn't sure. The guard tumbled away. Beck glanced at the Program and found her a stranger- odd, since he thought he knew every face in Argon. Her hair was similar to Paige's; instead of being brown, though, it was blonde, and the bangs on the left weren't as dramatic. Her wiring was white, rare nowadays on the Grid. She seemed to be older, possibly old enough to have lived on the old Grid. She deactivated her swords and returned them to her belt.

"You're not him," she said.

"What?" Beck replied.

"You're not Tron," she stated, more firmly this time. "I knew Tron. You're not him. What makes you think you can put on a mask and play hero? What gives you the right to stomp on his image like that?"

Beck was silent. She scoffed. "I can't believe I fell for the rumors." She pulled out a baton and rerezzed her lightcycle. "Have a nice cycle, Renegade."

"Wait." Beck's voice was firm, and she paused. "The Guard. Why were you fighting him?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I just wanted to see Tron, thought it might attract the mysterious 'Renegade' claiming to be him. Maybe he'd remember ol' Yori." She glanced down at her lightcycle, containing her emotions. Her face was as cool as the Sea of Simulation when she stared Beck in the eyes and said, "What a waste of time." Beck had no reply. Yori shook her head and sped off on her lightcycle.

Tron had some _serious_ explaining to do.

* * *

Back in the Outlands, Beck sauntered into Tron's base. Tron faced a panel. After Tron had been healed from the virus, they had decided that Beck should stick to routine patrols and Tron would deal with the more "dangerous" assignments. Well, it wasn't so much as _they_ decided as _Tron_ decided. Beck was still a bit peeved at getting the boring patrols. At least, not until tonight, when he ran into Yori and realized he had some ammo against him.

"How was the patrol?" Tron asked.

"I ran into your girlfriend," Beck replied.

Tron turned around, confused. "Girlfriend? I don't have one." His face turned back into his usual stern expression.

"Uh, well, apparently, this Program thinks you do. She even picked a fight with a Black Guard so I could find her. Then, when the Guard was gone, she talked about how I was just a wannabe hero, spitting on your image, and how she thought if you saw her, you'd remember her..." Beck trailed off when he saw Tron's face- the older Program looked grieved, but happy simultaneously.

"What was her name?" Tron asked softly.

"Yori," Beck replied.

Tron froze. " _Yori,_ " he whispered.

"Let me see your disc," Tron requested. Beck obliged. As the video of the encounter played, Tron's eyes softened. Beck almost made a smart remark, but thought better of it.

"If you see her, bring her here," Tron said. He was gentle, but it wasn't a question.

"But we've never brought anyone here. If she talks, the entire revolution could be ruined."

"Bring her here," Tron said, more sternly this time.

"Yeah, sure," Beck said faintly, deciding not to put the matter up for argument. The air was now tense and awkward, so Beck scurried away, leaving Tron to his thoughts.

* * *

Beck saw her seven cycles later. She stood at a bar, staring into her glass of energy. When she left, he pulled her aside.

"Hey," Beck said, almost friendly. Yori scoffed and didn't make eye contact.

"What do you want?" She muttered.

"I can get you to Tron. You just have to come with me," he whispered.

Her eyes were full of hope but also concern. "Do you know how long I've wanted to see him? How much research I've done just to found out where he was, if he was even still alive?" She faced Beck and looked him in the eye. "Do you know how many times I hoped the rumor that C.L.U. killed him wasn't true? So many nights I stared at the door, hoping he would come in and things would go back to normal. I chased so many possible leads, Renegade. I've endured so much disappointment. So please tell me that if I go with you, I will see him. I need a guarantee."

Beck nodded, digesting her speech. "I can guarantee it."

Yori nodded. "Fine."

Beck rerezzed his lightcycle, and they climbed on. The ride through the Outlands was a long one. Yori's breathing became more labored as she became nervous at the thought of a reunion. Beck thought he felt the stain of tears soak through his suit.

Soon, they arrived. Beck showed Yori the way, but stayed a distance behind her. If their past was as troubled as Beck thought it was, then they probably needed some time to work things out.

Tron heard the footsteps and turned around to face Beck. "Good, you're back. We need to go over the route for-" He stopped when he saw Yori. Beck stayed confined in the hallway, while Yori rushed forward, only to stop a few feet away from Tron.

"It's you," Tron murmured, smiling. Yori laughed, but her mood quickly changed to a stern one.

"Where were you? Why didn't you contact me? It's only been, what, 2000 cycles? User above, I thought you were derezzed! I _missed_ you, Tron!" She broke down and started crying. As comforting as Beck had ever seen him, Tron reached over and wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"Are you finished?" He asked. She nodded, and he brought her in for a kiss. Beck's eyes widened. The form of affection was rare among Programs; it was considered to be something only done by Users. Regardless, the kiss lasted a while. Neither of them seemed to object. Beck felt he was intruding on something private, so he drifted away from the scene.

"Well, I _did_ miss that," Tron commented when they parted. Yori chuckled.

"We have a lot to talk about," she said.

"Yes, lots. But can we just enjoy this moment for now?"

"I suppose."

"Good." And with that, Tron brought Yori in for another kiss.

* * *

"Tron, do you remember our wedding?" Yori absently asked. Cycles had passed, and both of them had avoided talking about anything serious.

"Of course." Tron turned and sat beside her. A ring materialized on his finger. "Sorry, I..." he gestured to his hand to explain the previous lack of a ring. "I couldn't have anything identifying me as..."

Yori nodded and smiled. A ring materialized on her finger as well. "It's fine. I did the same." Even though the fact wasn't well known, they were one of the only married Programs on the Grid. C.L.U. knew, though, so that was an identifying mark.

"I do remember, though," Tron said, getting back to the original question. "I remember when Flynn told us he was getting married, and us not knowing what it meant. I remember his exact words when he explained: 'It's when you love someone so much you want to spend the rest of your life with them. You want to be forever attached together.' He went on to talk more about it, but what stands out to me is that as soon as he said those words, I thought of you." Yori blushed.

Tron continued, "I wanted that for us. And after we got engaged, I remember Flynn bringing in his wife's old wedding magazines for you. You designed a beautiful dress, and then we were married." Tron swallowed, knowing what happened next. "And then...C.L.U. took over. Flynn fled. I didn't want you to get involved with this, Yori. That's why I left."

Yori nodded, although her lips were thin and her eyes showed disagreement. "But, Tron, isn't that what marriage is all about? To be there for the other person, to help them?"

"Yes, but I wanted to keep you safe. I had a choice, Yori- I could disappear and you could assume I was derezzed, or I could bring you into this and risk you being derezzed. I was selfish, Yori. I chose to leave because I didn't want to put myself through the pain of losing you. I know you can handle yourself, and it seems that's become even more true with C.L.U.'s regime-"

"Speaking of that, Tron, did you really think I would be safer under C.L.U.'s dictatorship than with you?"

Tron stood and paced around the room, his hands on his hips. "Yori, I don't know."

"No, Tron, you do know. Give me an answer."

He turned, resolve breaking when he faced her. "I was _scared,_ Yori. Okay? I was scared. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to protect you. I couldn't bear a world without you."

Yori's eyes were tearful when she said, "Well, imagine what I had to go through. Imagine how scared  _I_ was. You did to me what you didn't want to do to yourself. You were selfish, Tron."

"I know. I made a mistake. But when I heard about you...I realized just how horrible of a mistake it was."

Yori sighed. "I still love you, Tron. Even after what you did to me. I just...I need to get some air." Yori stood and made her way to the garage.

"Yori, wait-"

"I've waited long enough, Tron." The words were sharp, but Yori's voice quivered as she spoke them. She rerezzed her lightcycle, and drove into the Outlands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long wait! Hopefully, the next chapter won't take as long, haha. For this chapter, I was really inspired by fanart of Yori- like how she would look in Uprising. I especially loved the fanart by preservedcucumbers and natalart! Thanks, guys, for your lovely designs that helped me envision this chapter. :)
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3 Kudos and comments always make my day. ^-^


	3. Repurposed

Yori stared at her communicator. The message was simple- someone had entered her apartment. But it wasn’t just _her_ old apartment.

It was the one her and Tron shared after they were married. 

She hadn’t been there in a thousand cycles, at least. She had distanced herself from the apartment- staying all the way across the other side of the Grid –for a reason. Yori knew if she returned, the wounds she had worked so hard to heal would be ripped open. She had come back after her fight with Tron, and she had helped plant seeds of revolution here and there, but nothing was the same. There were no longer signs of affection between them. Not that there wasn’t a spark- there were certainly lingering glances or intentional brushes of their hands -but everything was so tense and somewhat awkward now. It felt like something was broken between them, and Yori didn’t know how to fix it. Her visits became less and less frequent, and she soon heard Tron had disappeared entirely. She wanted to grieve so very badly, and yet, a part of her felt like he was still alive, somewhere.

But still, her eyes were transfixed on the glowing, circular light that flashed on her screen. She could have cleared the notification easily, yet she still stared. Rationalizations streamed through her mind: since it had been so long, the space was up for sale, and someone was coming to look at it (she knew that wasn’t true, her and Tron had owned the place); it had been triggered accidentally (highly unlikely, as Tron had tested the security system extensively); or it was looters coming to cash in (while it was the most plausible, why now? It had been abandoned for several gigacycles).

Yori knew this would be like a bug in her code if she didn’t return, so she packed her light swords and set off on her cycle. She tried to tell herself it was just to check out the place and make sure it was still standing, and maybe get a few things that had positive memories, although she knew otherwise. The trip took her through the Grid, and took several cycles. Aptly enough, the apartment was located in what used to be called Tron City, until C.L.U. changed the name. It was now Rinzler City, named after one of C.L.U.’s new goons. She had heard rumors of this new “Rinzler,” and how he was taking out rebels left and right; some said he was a derezzing machine. While ties with most everyone in the Resistance had faded away, a part of her still felt for them. Even though it was a dying movement, there were still members who fought fiercely for independence. And now, to know they were being brutally hunted down and derezzed by this fool named Rinzler...it hurt.

Couldn’t think about that now, though, even when she was entering a place with his name plastered everywhere. She neared the apartment, and derezzed her cycle. It wasn’t the most flashy place, or the largest, but Yori had always thought the apartment was the perfect size for her and Tron. She stood in front of the door, musing for a moment, before unlocking it and heading inside.

It was just as she’d left it all those cycles ago. Even the holomags, outdated as they were -stayed put on the table. Suddenly, a wave of memory washed over her, and she found herself crying. Coming back had rendered her emotionally compromised, just as she thought it would. She remembered her and Tron picking out the place with Flynn in tow. He had offered them whatever place they wanted on the Grid, and they chose this one. He had seemed confused at the time, but soon realized that Tron wasn’t bold like he was. He preferred quiet, even in spite of his programming. Yori was the same.

She drifted through the small space, fingers dancing along certain surfaces. A vase given as a wedding present. Glasses of energy, hand-picked by Flynn, that had never been opened. The sofa where Yori had spent many a time nestled under Tron’s arm.

She entered the bedroom. The bed was on the wall opposite the door, and had two nightstands on either side. The lamps automatically turned on when she entered the room, emitting a dark red glow. Everything was the same, yet it was different.

She heard the click of the lock. An orange glow permeated the living room. The figure who entered wore a helmet and looked male. He sauntered around the room, as if he were hunting prey. His walk was somehow familiar, and that sent chills through her. It was Rinzler.

She felt her circuits fade from fear. Although Yori knew how to defend herself, she was never properly trained. Even if she was, she knew she had no chance against him. Her best bet was to try and sneak away. Yori chastised herself for being careless and blinded by emotion; she knew it was a trap, most likely set by C.L.U.

Yori started devising an escape route. There was only one entrance, and Rinzler was right in front of it. She was in the bedroom, and that was directly connected to the living room. She needed a distraction if she wanted to escape. The space was so small, though, that she was surprised he hadn’t noticed her already. He prowled towards the bedroom, and she rationalized that she could have the element of surprise. When he entered, Yori sprinted towards him, light swords ablaze. While he was surprised, he still drew his discs- _both_ his discs, Yori noticed -and stopped one of her swords in midair. Yori grunted, and swung her blade around his disc, trying to slash him. When she swung, she also raised her foot and aimed for his arm; she hoped he would drop one of the discs. While he did drop his disc, he grabbed her leg instead. He held her there for a second, and Yori felt he was actually _enjoying_ this. The anger fueled her as she swung her sword and kicked him with her other leg. He was taken by surprise at her agility and he fell to the ground. She stood over him, when she noticed she had actually hit him with her sword and there was now a dent in his helmet. She couldn’t see much of his face, but knew immediately who it was.

Immediately, Yori felt herself shaking. “No...no...they didn’t...C.L.U. didn’t...not you. Tron...” Suddenly, it all made sense, like a lock clicking. Why Tron disappeared right as Rinzler appeared. Why the resistance had died so quickly. Why C.L.U. had turned smug. The Grid’s greatest warrior was on his side, and he had all the intel on the resistance against his regime. Yori was horrified, and felt her light blades drop to the floor. Tron had been through so much already, and for him to be rectified, to have all his prior memories erased...it cut, and she found herself crying.

“You don’t remember me, do you?” She was sobbing now and wondering why he hadn’t derezzed her yet. Her knees buckled and she fell the floor in a motion of surrender. Rinzler tilted his head in curiosity, or maybe he was toying with her. Maybe Rinzler was simply a copy of Tron, but Yori knew better. His gait and even his fighting style were nearly identical- of course, now they were simply more aggressive. 

Rinzler felt confusion. This Program was familiar. Scraps of memories that he had suppressed resurfaced- a smile, a touch, a “kiss.” Emotions formed. Trust. Happiness. Compassion. These emotions did not feel new, but he knew he had never felt them before. They felt used, almost, as if another had felt them before he did. He also felt a need to protect this Program. The desire to guard clashed with all he had ever known- which was derezz, derezz, derezz. She cried in front of him, and Rinzler wanted to reach down and wipe the tears off her face. Her beautiful face.

But she was not perfect, his mind rationalized. C.L.U. expected nothing less than perfection. If he brought her with him, C.L.U. would have her derezzed- and Rinzler would be expected to kill her.

He couldn’t do that. But it went against his every line of code to disobey C.L.U.

He deactivated his discs, and merged them together. Rinzler knelt with her, on the floor. She stopped crying for a moment and looked at him. He took off his helmet, and she gasped. Her short blonde hair draped across her face. She noticed his eyes were now bright orange, where they used to be a brilliant blue. There was a remnant of a scar across his eye.

“Tron...” No. He was not Tron. He was Rinzler. Tron was dead. “I’m Yori. Do you remember me?” Her voice trembled.

The name sparked something in him. _Yori._ It was a difficult question. The answer was not no, but not yes, either. “Some,” he replied. 

Her eyes filled with tears again. “I...” Instead of finishing her sentence, she leaned over and kissed him. There was no romance, no passion, in the kiss. It was desperate. Yori knew, though, that if there was any remains of Tron left in him, he would react. While he did not pull away, he did not linger, either. 

Rinzler knew this was the moment where she would be most vulnerable, where she would be the most easy to derezz. But even though he didn’t react, something still stirred within him. He was not Tron, that much he knew. Within the depths of his memory, however, something rose. It was nothing coherent- a flash of light, her lips to his, and a smile -but it was enough for him to completely override his programming. Yori was good. Yori was light.

He had an idea. “Come,” he murmured, and rose. Yori followed him outside, curiously yet reluctantly, to his lightcycle. He took her to a far corner of the Grid, to an abandoned home. It was not the same one as where Tron had planned the revolution, but it was as far out. While that base had been in the mountains, this home was on the coast of the Sea of Simulation.

“I-I’m confused,” Yori confessed when they arrived.

“I need you,” he said. He wanted to kiss her so very badly, but felt it would be inappropriate. Instead, he took her hands. Yori blinked. “You...you want me to stay? Here? With you?” He nodded.

Yori mulled it over. This was Rinzler- a derezzing machine, who had killed almost every member of the revolution. Who had killed her friends. Who had almost killed _her._  

But he was still Tron- who saved the Grid multiple times. Who fought for the Users. Who loved her.

It wasn’t like she had a directive or purpose anymore, either. Lora-Prime had not contacted her in thousands of cycles; she would not need her. Yori was free to do whatever she wanted.

“I...” She felt lost. This was Tron, she knew it, but he wasn’t. Part of her screamed not to stay. It was a trap. But did it really matter anymore? She could be with the one she loved, at least a part of him. There was nothing for her to go back to on the Grid. No friends, no purpose. “Yes. I’ll stay with you.”

His face brightened at her response. “Thank you.” His voice was more mechanical now, less gentle, than it used to be. Even so, they were dangerously close with their hands still interlocked. Yori tried not to make eye contact, but failed, and found herself gazing into Rinzler’s eyes. He looked younger physically, but older emotionally. He was still ridiculously handsome. Instinctively, she almost kissed him, but stopped when their faces were only a few inches apart. She pulled away. 

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. She broke his gaze. She noticed he looked disappointed, but understanding. Grateful that there were two bedrooms, she made her way to one and Rinzler made his way to the other. 

She couldn’t sleep. It was late, but that didn’t change a thing. Yori hoped that this awkwardness between them wouldn’t be constant. She wanted her Tron back, and Rinzler was the next best thing. She had to get over it.

The next morning, a glass of energy sat on the counter, waiting for her. She hadn’t slept a microcycle, and the energy revitalized her circuits. 

“I have to leave.” Rinzler’s voice cut through the peaceful silence, and Yori yelped in surprise. She would have to get used to that, too. She chastised herself for thinking he would be here all the time- _of course_ he would have to leave. C.L.U. demanded it, and he was probably already late. But she couldn’t condone him going to C.L.U., either. 

“Stay with me,” she said. She had to put up some sort of protest. “I...you can’t go back out there. You can’t go back to that, Tr-I mean, Rinzler.” The name felt coarse on her tongue.

“I have to,” he replied. After a moment, he added, “I’ve already disobeyed C.L.U. enough already. I can’t raise suspicion.”

“No. I won’t let you. I’ll leave.” The threat was weak, but it was all she had, and they both knew it.

“You can,” he said. “I won’t stop you. I know I don’t deserve having you here, but I’ve seen you before, somewhere. The thought of you has kept me from derezzing myself for I don’t know how long.” He struggled to find the words. “I don’t really know who you are, but I know you are important. Just the presence of you, back at that apartment, was enough to override my programming. And that apartment, too...there was something about it. I know you feel that if you stay, you’re condoning my actions. But if you leave, I’ll still go. I know you think that you can change me, that you think that I think what I do is right. But I know I’m a monster.”

Yori could feel her resolve slipping away. Her mouth crinkled, and tears fell down her face. She knew he was right. “Fine,” she whispered. “Go.” 

After a pained nod, his helmet rerezzed. “I’ll be back later.” 

Yori turned towards the light of the entryway as he left. She wasn’t sure what was worse- her husband being dead, or him being the monster he now was. 

* * *

“And the traitor was...disposed of, I imagine?” C.L.U.’s voice bounced through the glass room. Rinzler nodded in reply. Getting his disc modified to erase all memories of Yori from the previous day had been difficult, but he had connections. He had decided to stash his discs before he returned to Yori again. While the effects of not having his discs would not be pleasant, it was better than having to get them modified every time he came back to C.L.U.

C.L.U. knew Rinzler was hiding something. He was late- which was odd in and of itself. Rinzler had no personal life to speak of, that much he knew. He carried himself just a tad differently, but enough to know something was amiss. His movements were jerky and he was on edge. Good. He had an advantage.

“Rinzler, has anything changed with you recently? Get a friend? A female Program to keep you company?”

Rinzler stood still. “No.”

“Hmm. Disc.” Rinzler obliged his request. After finding nothing, he returned them. “I hope you know better than to keep secrets from me.” C.L.U. waited for a reply, but received silence instead. “Dismissed.” 

Turning to Jarvis, he said, “Put a guard on him. I want to know what he’s up to.” 

* * *

Every day blurred into a singular stream. They would wake up, each in their respective bedroom. Rinzler always awoke first and there was always a glass of energy on the table, waiting for her. Sometimes, he would have already left by the time she awoke. While he tried to return every day, the journey was long and assignments from C.L.U. kept him occupied. Yori was alone more often than not, occasionally for several cycles. She tried to fill her days to keep away nagging thoughts; she watched every entertainment program she could find and designed several dresses. Still, she found herself crying at how her life had crumbled almost every day. When Rinzler did return, she did not avoid him, but did not seek him out, either. Words were rarely exchanged.

Rinzler had just returned after a particularly long absence, and Yori could immediately tell something had changed. He slouched as he walked, and when he derezzed his helmet, his face was steeped with tears. He collapsed on the sofa. 

“I don’t want to do this anymore.” His voice was tinted with remorse and broke as he spoke. “I don’t know how to stop it. It’s too deep inside my code.” Yori sat down beside him, paralyzed at his emotional outburst. He turned to her, his eyes pleading, and took her hands. 

While she was hesitant to ask, the words slipped out anyway. “What happened?” Her voice was soft compared to his metallic inflection. 

“There were a group of Programs.” He struggled to spit out the words. “They had done nothing wrong. It was all a test, set up by C.LU. He knows I’m with you, Yori. He’s toying with me, seeing if you’re changing my allegiance.” After a tense moment, he added, “I derezzed them all. I had to. For you. For us.” His glance turned to the ground as he sobbed, breaking his hands from hers. 

Yori was sickened. To hear the words was disturbing enough, to see the program she loved speaking them was infinitely worse. It was devastating to know that he had committed the murders, but for him to say he did it for them? It made her feel like she was guilty, too.

But still- he was broken. While she certainly did not find the notion of him derezzing for her romantic, what would she had done if she was in his situation? It was impossible to know. His mind was so warped he didn’t know which way was up, and even though his actions were atrocious, she knew he had done what he felt was right. While Rinzler should have been held accountable for what he had done, the majority of the guilt rested on C.L.U. He had put Rinzler up to the crime, and he was the one that had put his brain through a blender in the first place.

She could pass blame later. She couldn’t condemn him now, not when he was like this. Yori leaned towards him so their eyes met, and he turned towards her. How could she comfort him? She couldn’t tell him everything would be alright, because it was a blatant lie. While she knew that he derezzed every day, this was different. These were innocents. It wasn’t going to be alright.

“Hey,” she whispered. She locked her hands with his once again. Barely thinking, she did the only thing that she felt she could do- she kissed him.

Unlike the previous kiss, this kiss seemed to go on for cycles. Surprisingly, Rinzler didn’t lean into the kiss at all. It was so, so different than kissing Tron. There was emotion, but no love. Eventually, Rinzler pulled away. He had stopped crying.

“I...” he trailed off, wanting to say something, but unable to find the words. He stood up and walked to the doorway of his room. “Good night,” was all he said.

Yori felt a part of her had just been derezzed. This was not her Tron. Her Tron would have kissed her back. Her Tron would have smiled at her, shown that he was happy that she was there for him. But most of all, her Tron would not have killed innocents. He would have fought for those Programs.

Yori stood. When she got to the doorway of Rinzler's room, she said, "I'm going to leave. Tomorrow. I'm not coming back." Her voice cracked.

He blinked at her. "Why?"

"Because you're not Tron." It pained her to say so. "I...I'm sorry. But I can't be around you anymore. It's tearing me apart, Tron."

"My name is Rinz-"

"Your name is Tron!" she yelled. "You look just like him, but act so differently. Can you imagine how hard that is for me?" She brought her hand to her mouth and paused. "Please, let me leave. I can't take it anymore."

"Of course," he said, pained. "Or, I could leave and you could stay. I could ensure your safety here." Yori mulled over the thought. It was a pleasant place and the Sea of Simulation was peaceful. It would be a nice way to live out the rest of her cycles.

"That...that would be fine," she replied. "Thank you."

He took in the information, unsure if he really meant the offer. "I apologize for my actions. I will leave now." A single tear fell from his eye as he walked past her. "I love you, Yori." The words cut, and Yori gasped with tears.

"I know," she said, not able to say the words back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa, I ended with a Star Wars quote. This chapter was so fun to write, but it was HARD. Can't wait to write for them again, though! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! :) This was cross-posted from ff.net. :) Comments and kudos are always appreciated, but comments really make me smile <3


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